# Mrs. Iden — Amaryllis at the Fair character guide > Mrs. Iden in Amaryllis at the Fair by Richard Jefferies. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Iden, Mr. and Mrs. Iden, old Iden, Guilty Mrs. Iden, this Mrs. Iden **First appearance:** 0004-i ## Snapshot A London-born wife who abuses her father-in-law for an hour and then insists her daughter court his money, switching between indulgence and tyranny without warning. ## Who they are Mrs. Iden is the household's weather: one day she lets Amaryllis do as she pleases, the next she demands minute obedience and a changed dress. She despises Grandfather Iden's worship of the Pamments and yet is the first to remind her daughter that they have not a farthing and must be civil to him. Her contradictions — scolding, coaxing, shrieking about quart pots and lardy-cakes — make the Iden home a place where affection and calculation are hopelessly tangled. ## Relationships ### [Amaryllis Iden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/characters/amaryllis_iden) _family_ Amaryllis and Mrs. Iden have a distant, somewhat formal mother-daughter relationship, lacking deep emotional closeness. ### [Amaryllis Iden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/characters/amaryllis_iden) _family_ Amaryllis and Mrs. Iden have a distant, somewhat formal mother-daughter relationship, lacking deep emotional closeness. ## In the story ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/i) Comes out briefly to insist Amaryllis put on her hat and scarf. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/ii) Mrs. Iden angrily criticizes her husband's focus on potatoes and old stories, urging him to be more practical. She is also subject to the strict silence rule at dinner. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/iii) Defiantly uses vinegar and mocks Mr. Iden's pronunciation, representing the irrational female eating habits he despises. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/iv) Shakes her fist at the sleeping Mr. Iden through the window, muttering her hatred of his inactivity. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/v) Angrily thumps Mr. Iden for sleeping, tramples the daffodil, then cries over a faded honeymoon glove in her bedroom. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/vii) Welcomes Jack Duck warmly, brings him ale, and encourages Mr. Iden to go to the fair. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/viii) Engages in a heated argument with Iden; insults his family; inconsistent in her treatment of Amaryllis. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/ix) Mrs. Iden is scornful of her husband's dew-wading, but shares moments of tenderness with him over lavender. Her past beauty and vivacity contrast with her current life. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/x) Referenced indirectly through the mention of her throwing Iden's lardy-cake descent in his face. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xi) Mentioned as a Flamma; Amaryllis's mother, from the Flamma family. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xiii) Mentioned as having no decent boots and suffering from rheumatism due to dampness through a crack in her boot. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xvii) Mentioned indirectly through Amaryllis's memory of her mother's worn-out boots, which motivates her to endure the visit. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xviii) Leads the crossfire of anger against Amaryllis over the lost guinea. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xix) Delighted by the grandfather's anger; praises Amaryllis for vexing him; tries on new boots and enjoys the bloaters. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxi) Discourages Amaryllis's artistic efforts, shuffles around the room, and shows inconsistency by criticizing her husband's lack of enterprise while undermining her daughter's ambition. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxii) Makes excuses to creditors; becomes hysterical before the bailiff's arrival; endures the baker's rudeness. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxiii) Warms elder wine and bakes potatoes; pets and feeds Jearje like a dog; watches him eat with amusement. ### [XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxiv) Shows signs of severe mental strain after the bailiff's intrusion, wandering aimlessly at night and crying without cause. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxv) Subject of Amaryllis's prayer; Amaryllis wishes for her health, happiness, and relief from financial strain. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxxii) Bustles about the farm, scolds Luce, and feeds the men and children with generous portions. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxxiii) Bustles energetically, scolds Iden and the lazy household, complains about the butter not being done. ### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/chapters/xxxiv) Criticizes Iden's fuss over the gate and urges him to visit his father for financial gain. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/characters/mrs_iden - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/amaryllis_at_the_fair_se/characters